Step One

I've been thinking that eventually I'll need to explain to somebody, somewhere how I got from where I was to where I am, in other words, how I became a Catholic. At the moment it's rather a complex beast and teasing out the individual strands is very worthwhile, so I'm going to think the process through here--step by step.
I'm using the metaphor of steps, not in the sense of how-to steps, but rather as steps along a path. In this case the path is the unique shape of my life, not a general path to conversion for others. It is not always a logical path, which causes me little grief, but I mention it so that those who will be tempted to argue with me based on logic will not be surprised when I don't care. I'm fairly satisfied that the resulting decision is logical, and so the logic of the process is incidental.
Let's begin in the fifth grade with a play about the life of Martin Luther. The play was meant to lift Martin Luther up as an exemplar for all of us children, and help us to understand why we weren't Catholic. I think it did a fairly good job, but it introduced me to Martin Luther as a person rather than as a set of ideas. Martin Luther as a person did not impress me--at any point. Let's begin with the story of his decision to become a monk. One thunderstorm and a hasty promise and he's turned his entire life inside out. Now, if there'd been a light and a voice from heaven like St. Paul, then such an amazing transformation would at least have precedent, but even St. Paul was instructed and did some soul searching before he took up his new place in the body of Christ. It did not seem surprising to me that Martin found his new life as a monk unsatisfactory.
Martin's obsession with confession and perfection did not seem to be imposed upon him from the outside. It seemed to be a fault of his personality. In fact, the play documented the efforts of his superiors to help Martin out of the slough he'd fallen into. His behavior was worrisome and not accepted as normal by the group he was a part of. I do believe that as Martin fought his way to a healthier understanding of sin and salvation that he discovered many flaws in then current Christian practice. I also think excommunication was a bad decision particularly as it forced Martin to leave the church body.
That moment of separation provided justification for leaving the church on the basis of conflicts with the individual conscience, and it led to the now current idea that leaving a failing/struggling church is not just an option but a moral obligation. I think responsibility for this must be shared between the Catholic Church of the time and Martin Luther, but its negative effects can be clearly seen in the ever-splintering body of the church.
Step Two can be read Here.